Saturday, June 30, 2012

Weekly Book Haul #8

Bought:
Everneath - Brodi Ashton (Review)

Gifted:
Black City - Elizabeth Richards
**Thank you Kathy at A Glass of Wine for Black City and other goodies!**


e-galleys:
Mystic City - Theo Lawrence
The Rise of Nine - Pittacus Lore

Hey guys!
Please forgive me for my absence this past week.
My grand-mamala has been in the hospital, so I've been helping with her.
Thankfully she's on the mend!

Soooooo....
I totally broke my no-requesting streak.
I had to have The Rise of Nine and Mystic City!

I'm so excited to start these galley's, as well as Black City!
Thank you Kathy, for all the goodies!

What new books did YOU get this week???


**This post was inspired by In My Mailbox by TheStorySiren, in order to share books received each week.**

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #73 - Mind Games by Kiersten White

Mind Games
(Mind Games #1)
by Kiersten White

Publication Date: February 19th, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

Add to Goodreads

In a world where psychics and mind-readers are the ultimate tools in corporate espionage, two teen girls try to save themselves and their future. (Goodreads)


I really enjoyed reading the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White. (I'm impatiently waiting for book #3 to be released!)  I love the cover for Mind Games, and even though the summary is short, it does sound like it could be a great read!



What are you Waiting for this week???

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Review: Once by Anna Carey

Once
(Eve #2)
by Anna Carey

Publication Date: July 3rd, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 318
ISBN: 9780062048547
From Publisher for Review

B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar. (Goodreads)
This book was SO much better than I was expecting! I love it when a book throws me completely off guard, and that’s exactly what happened when I read Once, the much anticipated follow up to Eve by Anna Carey.

After a series of events gone wrong, Eve is now trapped in the City of Sand, at the mercy of none other than the King of New America. Here she discovers an unsettling secret about her past, and must try to come to terms with what this secret means for her future. It’s up to Eve to do whatever she has to do to save the ones she loves.

Eve has definitely come a long way since I first met her in the previous book. She is no longer the sheltered, naïve young lady. Here we see a girl that has been through more than any girl should ever have to go through, and she’s a survivor. She’s also very strong and determined, and I found that to be so refreshing compared to the girl we first met. As if I thought I couldn’t love Caleb more than I did in the previous book, I fell in love with him even more in this sequel. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see him quite as much as I hoped, but the parts of the book that he is in are extra special. I adore the relationship between him and Eve.

We are also introduced to quite a few new characters in Once, and there are a few characters that you are going to love to hate. (I sure did, anyways.) A few of our favorite characters from the previous book make a comeback as well, and it was interesting as well as heartbreaking to see what had happened to some of them.

Once is filled with lots of different twists that will keep you guessing right up to the end. When I actually had time to sit down and read, I flew through the pages, just because I needed to know what was going to happen next. There were quite a few emotional parts in the book that had me tearing up as well. (Blah!) The ending of the book is another massive cliffhanger, which has left me completely pining for the next book in the series. (Must we really wait until next spring??)

Overall, I really enjoyed this sequel. I was super curious to see how things would play out for Eve and Caleb, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. Bring on the next book in this series, and quickly, please!

Happy Reading!



Books in this series:


Eve * 2011     |     Once * 2012     |     Rise * 2013



Monday, June 25, 2012

Noteworthy New Releases * 6/25 - 7/1



New in Hardback:

Between the Lines - Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Smart Girls Get What They Want - Sarah Strohmeyer   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Dust Girl - Sarah Zettel   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
A Midsummer Tights Dream - Louise Rennison   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )





New in Paperback:

Before I Wake - Rachel Vincent   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Withering Tights - Louise Rennison   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Bound - Erica O'Rourke   (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )


Happy Reading!!!


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Weekly Book Haul #7


For Review:
Defiance - C.J. Redwine

I have been doing SOOOOOOO good at not requesting books lately.
I'm trying to get caught up so I can read some of the books I've bought and not read yet.
I requested Defiance a while back, and finally got approved!
Yay!
I can't wait to get started on it. :)

What did you get this week???


**This post was inspired by In My Mailbox by TheStorySiren, in order to share books received each week.**

Friday, June 22, 2012

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone
(The Grisha Trilogy #1)
by Leigh Bardugo

Publication Date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Pages: 358
ISBN: 9780805094596

B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart. (Goodreads)

The thing I loved most about Shadow and Bone was how completely unique the book was. I can honestly say that I have read nothing like this before, and I enjoyed every minute of it! The characters were amazing, the storyline was creative, and I was completely hooked to this book.

And here’s why....

The main character in the story is Alina.  Alina is a girl that was raised in an orphanage with her best friend, Mal. She’s a normal girl, never to get a second glance. Until the unspeakable happens and she discovers a long hidden Grisha talent, a talent that no other person has. We see Alina grow leaps and bounds in this book, and we watch as she becomes stronger and more confident in herself. This is the type of character that I really grow to love.

Alina and Mal have been together almost all of their lives, from their time at the orphanage, to their time in the military. The more I read about these two characters, the more I believe they are absolutely perfect for each other. Mal is willing to do anything in the world to keep Alina safe. I loved him for that.

The Darkling, who is basically the ultimate Greisha, was such a mysterious character. He would also do whatever he has to do to keep Alina safe, but not for the same reasons as Mal. The Darkling has plans for the world, plans that he cannot accomplish without Alina, and he will stop at nothing to have things his way.

The world-building for this book was absolutely fascinating. It amazes me how authors come up with these super-creative worlds that I become completely engrossed with. The storyline was excellent as well. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the author completely threw me a curveball. I totally didn’t see it coming at all! These are the things that make for excellent reads!

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected to. I must have a finished copy of this book to add to my bookshelf, and I can’t wait to get a hold of the next book in the series!

Happy Reading!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #72 - Crash by Lisa McMann

Crash
(Visions #1)
by Lisa McMann

Publication Date: January 8th, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Add to Goodreads

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the vision. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode... and nine body bags in the snow.

She has no idea why this is happening to her or if she’s going crazy. It hardly matters, because the visions are everywhere--on billboards, television screens, windows--and she’s the only one who can see them.

But it’s not until the vision starts coming more frequently, and revealing more clues, that Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it's someone she knows. Someone she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember. (Goodreads)


Ahhh! Did you read that summary? This book sounds like it will be amazing. I LOVE Lisa McMann, she's such a great writer. I am really looking forward to reading more of her work!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Lies Beneath
(Lies Beneath #1)
by Anne Greenwood Brown

Publication Date: June 12th, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 303
ISBN: 9780385742016
From Publisher for Review

B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him. (Goodreads)

I was really looking forward to starting Lies Beneath, as I had read another mermaid novel previously and really enjoyed it. I haven’t read many novels about the subject, and I was curious to see how this book would compare. I definitely was not disappointed.

Lies Beneath is told from the viewpoint of Calder, who is a merman. I haven’t read many books from a male’s point of view, but I found it to be very interesting. To be honest, I didn’t think I would like Calder very much at first. It kind of bothered me the way he talked to Lily, it came off as a bit condescending. That always really bothers me. However, he does redeem himself a bit by the end of the book.

Lily is Calder’s love interest in the story. She’s very smart and strong willed. The thing that I liked most about her was that she didn’t fall head-over-heels in love with Calder right off the bat. It was definitely a relationship that grew, and mostly it grew from Lily’s uneasiness with Calder.  It was nice to not have an insta-love relationship for a change.

Most of the secondary characters I really didn’t care for. Especially Calder’s sisters, Maris, Tallulah and Pavati . They were pure evil, and they had no second thoughts about killing innocent people, unlike Calder. These girls are ones that you are definitely going to love to hate.

I really enjoyed the storyline for the book. It had a bit of a darker plot to it than I expected, but that just kept me turning the pages.  The ending of the book closes nicely, and not on a cliffhanger, much to my enjoyment. Instead it ends on a promise that will get to meet the characters again soon. I’m really looking forward to it!

Overall, this book was completely different than what I expected. I read it while sitting by the pool, and found it to be a quick, enjoyable read. If you like mermaid books, you should definitely add this to your list.

Happy Reading!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Noteworthy New Releases * 6/18 - 6/24



New in Hardback:

Something Like Normal - Trish Doller  (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Soulbound - Heather Brewer  (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )




New in Paperback:

This Is Not a Test - Courtney Summers  (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Blood Moon - Alyxandra Harvey  (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )
Ten Things We Did  - Sarah Mlynowski  (  B&N | Amazon | Goodreads  )



Sunday, June 17, 2012

Weekly Book Haul #6


Bought:

For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund
Timepiece - Myra McEntire
The Golden Lily - Richelle Mead
Rapture - Lauren Kate (Review)

I'm so excited for all the new books I got this week!
They look so lovely on my shelf. :)
I can't wait to dig into them soon!
And I totally blame Mary @TheBookSwarm for making me buy For Darkness Shows the Stars.
Her review totally sold me on the book! :)

What did you get this week???


**This post was inspired by In My Mailbox by TheStorySiren, in order to share books received each week.**

Friday, June 15, 2012

Review: Mirage by Kristi Cook

Mirage
(Winterhaven #2)
by Kristi Cook  
Author Website | Twitter

Publication Date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781442442993
From Publisher for Review & Blog Tour

B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together. (Goodreads)
Mirage is the much anticipated follow up to Kristi Cook’s captivating debut novel, Haven.  I was so excited to finally get my hands on a copy of this book, and to also participate in the blog tour for the book! I just couldn’t wait to read it. I remember in my review for Haven that I mentioned that the book and characters reminded me of The X-Men meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  When I met the characters once again in Mirage, it felt exactly the same way!

Mirage picks up a few weeks after Haven leaves off. It’s now senior year for Violet and the crew, and Violet wants nothing more than to see Aidan again after their long summer break apart.  But their last year of school is not going as smoothly as they hoped. A rouge vampire is on the loose, killing innocent people, friends are pulling away from the each other, and people prove to be not at all what they seem.

I love the characters in this series SO much. Violet is such a strong character. I love the relationship between her and Aidan. Ah, Aiden... He’s one of the very first male protagonists that I fell in love when I started reading YA books. He’s so mysterious and alluring; I just can’t get enough of him.  Together, these two make a great couple. They definitely have their trials in Mirage, but their love is still strong.

Violet also has some really great friends that we get to meet again in Mirage. I love Kate, Sophie, Whitney and Cece. Although there is quite a bit of drama between them, they are all such great friends to Violet. We are also introduced to some new characters along the way, on in particular that I’m still quite unsure about. I’m definitely hoping that we will learn a bit more in the next book.

The storyline was very well thought out, and the pacing for the book was just right. I flew through this book in just a few hours time. The book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, and I’m dying to get my hands on the next book just to figure out what exactly is going to happen next! (Oh, the agnoy!)

Overall, if you enjoyed reading Haven, you’re definitely going to enjoy reading Mirage! This series just gets better and better. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Happy Reading!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Review: This is So Not Happening by Kieran Scott

This is So Not Happening
(He's So/She's So #3)
by Kieran Scott

Publication Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781416999591

B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

After their long summer apart, Ally and Jake were hoping for a drama free senior year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things will work out that way...again. — It turns out that Chloe is pregnant and says that Jake is the father. Hammond is pissed at his best friend, but mostly can't believe that Ally would stay with Jake. But Ally is tired of being apart from Jake and is willing to make it work. But that is easier said than done when Jake starts blowing Ally off to go to doctor's appointments with Chloe and Ally joins the school play and meets a new cute guy.

But as graduation approaches, things get more complicated as new secrets come out and Ally realizes maybe Jake isn't the guy she thought he was. After everything they've been through can Ally and Jake get out of Orchard Hill with their relationship intact? (Goodreads)
I started reading this series last year, and I really enjoyed reading the first two books in the series.  I was so excited when ‘This is So Not Happening’ finally arrive in my mailbox. I couldn’t wait to dig into it.

After the events from the previous book left me hanging, I was really excited to see what would happen to the characters in this book.  I definitely enjoyed Ally more in this book than I did in He’s So Not Worth It. Poor girl, she finally gets her life back on track, when the big boom is dropped on her. She definitely handled things better than I would. I found myself to be increasingly frustrated with Jake, and as much as I loved him in the first book, I found myself completely shocked by all the drama he put Ally through in this book. And to be honest, it frustrated me even more that Ally was so forgiving of him. I know I wouldn’t have been.

I enjoyed the secondary characters in the book just as much as I did in the previous books. Annie is such a great best friend to Ally. I was also glad to see that all of the girls pretty much got along this time around. It was the boys that were a handful!

This book, along with the whole series, has more teenage drama in it than I ever experienced in my whole entire life.  Usually I am not into drama, but I couldn’t get enough of it in this series.  From the characters to the storyline and the drama, they all blend together to make quite an addicting read. I definitely just HAD to know what was going to happen next.  The ending was well written, and I felt that the series ended in the best way possible.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series, and I hate to see it come to an end. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Mrs. Scott in the future!

Happy Reading!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #71 - Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall
by Shannon Messenger

Publication Date: March 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Add to Goodreads

Vane Weston should have died in the category five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past—except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She's swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.

Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, they start to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.

Set amongst the desert airstreams of Coachella Valley in California, LET THE SKY FALL is about two teenagers broken by their pasts, divided by their futures, and bound by love. (Goodreads)


Ohhhhh, does this book sound awesome, or what???
The characters and setting sounds AWESOME!

What are you Waiting on this week???


**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Review: Rapture by Lauren Kate

Rapture
(Fallen #4)
by Lauren Kate

Publication Date: June 12th, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books/ Random House
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9780385739184

B&N | Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

The sky is dark with wings . . . .

Like sand in an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past they must find the place where the angels fell to earth. Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again.

Yet together they will face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed. And suddenly Luce knows what must happen.

For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now will be the only one that truly matters.

In the fight for Luce, who will win?

The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer. (Goodreads)
Daniel and Luce are racing against time to finally put an end to the curse that keeps them apart.  Questions are answered, and decisions are made in this excellent conclusion to the Fallen series.

In Rapture, we get to learn who Lucinda really is. Not just about some of her past lives as we did in the previous book. We get to learn who she truly is. That caught me by surprise, because she wasn’t really what I expected at all. I really enjoyed getting even more back-story for Luce and Danielle. Theirs is a relationship that I have always loved, and I’m really going to miss reading about these characters. 

I have always really enjoyed the secondary characters in this book. Cam, Roland, Gabbe, Adrianne, and even Molly; all of these characters make the series extra special for me. I love them each for very different reasons. I would love it if Mrs. Kate wanted to make a spin-off series about any of these characters, especially the mysterious Cam.

I really enjoyed the storyline and the pacing for the book. It all flowed together wonderfully for a great read. The ending left me very satisfied, with all my questions answered, and more. To be honest, I was really worried going into this book, of how it would end. But I couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion. It was well worth the wait.

I also feel that I should add that the book covers for this series have been my favorite of all time. They are all seriously gorgeous, and I love seeing them displayed on my bookshelf.

Overall: I have really enjoyed reading this series over the past few years.  As much as I hate to see it end, I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey I took with Luce, Daniel and the crew.

Happy Reading!


Monday, June 11, 2012

Noteworthy New Releases 6/11 - 6/17



New in Hardback:

Rapture - Lauren Kate   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
The Golden Lily - Richelle Mead   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
Timepiece - Myra McEntire   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )





New in Paperback:

Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
Ripple - Mandy Hubbard   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
Chosen Ones - Tiffany Truitt   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
Beautiful Chaos - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
Sometimes it Happens - Lauren Barnholdt   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
Bad Taste in Boys - Carrie Harris   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )
Huntress - Malinda Lo   ( B&N | Amazon | Goodreads )



Sunday, June 10, 2012

Weekly Book Haul #5


Bought:
Arise - Tara Hudson (Review)
Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
Sisters Red - Jackson Pearce

Gifted:
Dreamless - Josephine Angelini (Review)
Thank You, Kathy @ A Glass of Wine!


Hey guys!
I managed to get some really awesome books this week!
I'm so glad to have finished copies of Arise and Dreamless, as I loved them both.
(Thank you so much, Kathy, for Dreamless. You are full of awesomeness!)
And I picked up Before I Fall and Sisters Red from the bookstore earlier this week.
I love Lauren Oliver, and can't wait to read Before I Fall.

Sooooo....
What new books did you get this week???


**This post was inspired by In My Mailbox by TheStorySiren, in order to share books received each week.**